The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Internal combustion engines utilize valve timing strategies to effect changes to engine operation and performance Valve opening and closing timings influence the thermodynamic cycle and the combustion process, including fuel efficiency, emissions, and engine torque level.
A number of advanced combustion strategies are known, including homogeneous-charge spark ignition, homogeneous combustion compression ignition (HCCI), stratified charge spark ignition, and stratified-charge compression ignition. Such strategies are designed to improve the efficiency and emissions of the internal combustion engine, through a combination of reduced pumping work, reduced heat losses, an improved combustion process, and improved thermodynamics.
Heat exchangers are devices that utilize a gas or liquid to change the temperature and of a gas or liquid. Heat exchangers include structures that maximize surface area within the heat exchanger, and as the two flows pass through the heat exchanger and come into contact with the surface area within the heat exchanger, heat flows from the higher temperature flow to the lower temperature flow.
Engines utilize engine coolant to cool the engine block. Cooler engine coolant enters the engine block, picks up heat from the engine, and exits the engine as a higher temperature, heated engine coolant. Engine coolant is additionally used for auxiliary purposes in the engine, for example, providing heated engine coolant to a passenger compartment heater device and providing supply engine coolant to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler device to cool an EGR flow.
Charged engines utilize a compressor device such as a supercharger or a turbocharger to create forced induction of intake air into the engine. Charging intake air by compressing the intake air additionally heats the intake air. As a result of the heating, the performance of the engine throughout a higher-load region may become increasingly limited due to knock. Charged engine configurations may utilize an intercooler device to cool the compressed intake air in order to improve the knock performance of the engine. Intercooler devices may include a gas to liquid heat exchanger, wherein cooler, supply intercooler fluid or intercooler coolant is passed through the heat exchanger, picks up heat from the compressed intake air, and exits the intercooler device as a higher temperature, heated intercooler fluid.
A direct injection engine includes a fuel injector spraying fuel into a combustion chamber. Fuel may be delivered to the injector or injectors by a fuel system including a fuel rail or fuel rails. A fuel rail is a pipe-like device including an inlet and outlets leading to each of the injectors fed by the fuel rail.
Fuel properties affect the resulting combustion process. A spray pattern resulting in the combustion chamber may affect a number of parameters, including volumetric efficiency, a degree of air-fuel mixing, combustion phasing, knock, pre-ignition, and whether fuel is sprayed upon the walls of the combustion chamber.